The present invention relates to tracked sugar cane harvesters and more particularly relates to a track frame and suspension for a two-row cane harvester.
It is known to equip a sugar cane harvester with track laying track assemblies for operation in soft or wet fields for floatation and so that undue compaction does not occur.
These track assemblies each include a track frames having a cross member extending between a rear portion of the tacks and mounted to a main support frame for tilting about a fore-and-aft axis located midway between the tracks. A pair of tilt cylinders are located at opposite sides of the vehicle and act between the main frame and the cross member so as to place the vehicle main support frame in various selected tilted attitudes relative to the track frames in order to compensate for sloping ground, for rows of cane of different heights and for situations where the cane stalks in one row may be bent over. The track frame cross member which contains the fore-and-aft pivot connection with the main frame also contains a horizontal transverse pivot axis structure about which the tracks are vertically pivotable for adjusting the elevation of the forward part of the main frame, and hence the height of the base cutters carried on the forward part of the main frame, relative to the tracks, this adjustment being done by a pair of elevation cylinders respectively located at opposite sides of the vehicle and mounted between the main frame and respective forward portions of the track frames. The part of the track frame to which the elevation cylinders are attached is a frame portion which straddles the top of the tracks themselves. An example of such a track frame assembly is disclosed in Australian Patent No. 574,871 granted to Paul Mizzi on Jul. 14, 1988.
This known track frame design is relatively heavy and the part that straddles the top of the track has a tendency to cause mud and debris to accumulate where the part passes over the tracks.